March 16, 2019 - SATURDAY Only
Rappahannock Decoy Carvers and Collectors Guild Carving Contest
At the Rappahannock River Waterfowl Show
Registration of entries -

2:00 PM to 4:00 PM on Friday March 16, 2018​

9:00 AM to 10:30 AM on Saturday March 17, 2018

Rappahannock River Valley National Wildlife Refuge and the Rappahannock Wildlife Refuge Friends Group will cosponsor the fifth annual Go Wild! festival on Sunday, May 20, 2018 at 11:00 AM - 4:00.  The event will be held at the Hutchinson Tract in Essex, Virginia, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Over the past 5 years, this event has evolve to include many participatory events for kids and adults alike such as the archery exhibit, the tram rides, the bluebird house building event and many more. 

Events

Click on banners below

March 3-7, 2019

Learn to carve your own decoy or sharpen your carving skills!
Beginners Welcome!        Carving experience not needed!

Instruction and Kits provided by carver Ed Morrison.
About the Instructor
Ed Morrison lives in Virginia Beach, VA. He has been carving since 1982 and teaching carving classes for over 20 years. He is a member of the Back Bay Wildfowl Guild and the Albemarle Craftsman’s Guild. His working style decoys are carved using knives, spoke shaves, and rasps to help preserve the traditional way of decoy making at a time when the trend is toward power carving.

The Decoy:

  • First time carvers will carve and paint a Canvasback, one of the most popular of all decoys.
  • Returning students will carve and paint a decoy of their choice.
  • Decoys will be carved from Tupelo, a favored decoy wood.
  • Head position can be straight or turned, and some feather detail can be carved in.
  • Decoys will be carved using knives and rasps. All tools provided, personal tools welcomed.